I want to introduce myself. My name is Leon but use Babylonia as user-name. I am from Holland (The Netherlands). I am interested in the backgrounds of macro photography, specially for the technical resources I have found within this forum and the network of photographers with knowledge of it.

Short history of me.
I worked as a photographer for many years, within the field of advertising, product and industrial photography. Worked with film formats from 35mm up to 4x5 inch and 8x10 inch. Digital experience starting from 1993 and up. Later switched more into portrait and school picture photography. For medical reasons I am retired more or less, and only do some occasional work. Want to spend time in reorganising my old picture stuff and digitise much of my old film material, not by scanning but by taking pictures of it. And maybe want to do some little technical table top photography (if my health and energy is not taking to much of it).

Got a Nikon PB-4 bellows (by the tilt / shift possibilities) and several enlarger lenses, as they are better suited for tilt / shift settings, flat field and short distance. The manual work-flow I like very much as it was my way of working in old film days using Sinar technical camera's and Mamiya 6x7 cm. Even using a digital DSLR now (Nikon D700), I do like using manual lenses.

Lately I got a Rodenstock APO Rodagon 105mm / f4.0, I have some questions about it. But that shall be my first (second) message within the proper forum section._________________Greetings from Holland

You will find this to be a huge resource of knowledge and experience and very friendly and supportive. (It is unclear if you have had a good look around here already).

You mention table top work. Is this your interest in macro or are you looking for wider scope?

As I write this many of the more active members will be asleep but will be online later. It is now first light here in the UK on a spring morning. Many members are finding the first wildlife subjects appearing in recent days.

Harold_________________My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.

You mention table top work. Is this your interest in macro or are you looking for wider scope?

I found really great pictures using stacking techniques of insects with high enlargements and have great respect of the photographers taking the energy and time to spend in it. Also the technical solutions build by some users themselves are in interest of me. But me myself I think am not that photographer going into the field catching micro-life. But the interests can grow, we will see.

Further on I mentioned more early I want to digitise older film stuff.
So reproduction 1:1 and less, or by stitching several images that can be done by a Rodenstock Rodagon-D 1:1 75mm/4.0 (I have that lens).

Like yourself I am interested in backgrounds, mainly because although I have the ability to create and colour, gradient and zone, it's the actual aesthetic choosing of an appropriate and effective one that I find a stretch, not the mechanics. Fyi, I shoot into a smallHD field monitor which I've got set up to act as a parallel output from my PC. So literally I can make any graphic in photoshop - use an eyedropper from a single image if neccessary - and use that. All in all this is ok and works ok, not without its issues but a handy configurable tool.

If you come across good discussion on backgrounds, ie go complementary or Analogous or whatever, do tell, I'd be very interested.